Moving On

I've gotten too big for my britches. hehehe.

So I moved!  I'm here now.

www.technojavi.blogspot.com 

see you when i see you 

Foresight

  I think what we sorely lack as a country is foresight.  We are too preoccupied with the here and the now that we would rather gamble on things that would benefit us in the short term instead of postponing satisfaction for an ever more fruitful reward in the future.  If countries were given a version of the marshmallow test, we would be proudly waving the banner of the flunkies.

We have politicians skimming off the top of all projects thrown their way.  What Miriam Santiago mentioned during the NBN hearing about the standard kickback rate of 10% was an open secret.  Still I was aghast to hear her say it out loud with almost the entire country listening.  10%.  Imagine that. 

That’s 10% of the witholding taxes we pay every month.  That’s 3% of our gross monthly salary.  That’s 5 hours of work every month ending up in the pocket of some politicians. 

And that is only the tip of the iceberg, add to that the unliquidated advances, the discretionary intelligence funds, the junket trips etc.. etc..  and the number only goes higher.  It’s enough to make you renounce your citizenship.  This has been going on for years and years and will continue to happen for years and years to come.  The end, as the cliché goes, is not in sight.

One of the more despicable (it’s a long story) senior managers I’ve come across in my career once said that for theft to happen, need and opportunity has to exist side by side.  If you’re a politician, opportunity to steal is a given.  As to the need, heck they have to recuperate from all those money they’ve spent during the last election and theres no knowing for sure if they’d be elected to a second term.  Hence, for most politicians, it’s just not a simple matter of carpe diem or seizing the day, it’s a matter of seizing everything that looks green, or in our case, violet.

Which brings me to my earlier contention—lack of foresight.  When you have leaders who are only concerned about the potential number of years that they stay in office, rest assured that they will set goals that can be achieved within that number of years.  While other, and expectedly so, more developed countries set goals in terms of decades, we are still wallowing in the pathetic pool of myopia, of shortsightedness.

I could go on and on about succession planning and the beauty of small gains adding up to huge rewards but I’m getting too riled-up thinking about all these things.  Damn it all.  We’re supposed to be one of the smartest races around, why the hell can’t we get our acts together?  Gad, I wish there’s a plague that would smite all thieving politicians(isn’t this redundant?), perhaps only then can this country get a fighting chance.

This Mac Looks Yummier Than McDonalds

 I've been thinking of replacing my desktop.  It's a souped up gamer's PC that's been giving me pleasure with its kickass graphics and soundblasters.  But it's already 3 years old, and by technology standards, that PC might as well have been bought during the Jurassic period.  Add to that, I can't lug it anywhere. Seriously it's got to go!

I've been scouring the net for a more suitable replacement.  There's too many to choose from that I sort of gave up for a while.  Until a cousin wanted to sell me his Sony Vaio he got last year.  It had crystal clear graphics but I'm through with handouts.  I need something that I can buy for myself. 

Then I heard from a friend who's now working for Apple– that lucky bastard.  He's been raving about his company issued Macbook Pro.  I felt like I was in the dark for so long that somehow it's clouded my mind.  How the hell can I not think of Apple?  After believing that Steve Jobs is an effing genius?  I checked out the Macbook Pro right away and immediately fell in love with it.

Man, this laptop blows my mind.  Looks like I would have to scrimp all the way till christmas to afford this one. 

Ang Relo ni Leroy Rolex

Look at that!

 I had dinner with a few close friends last weekend and they couldn’t help but ooh and aah at my new watch.  Who wouldn’t?  It’s a Rolex GMT-MASTER II.  One of the sexiest Rolex watches on the planet.  It also retails at a whopping P270,000.00!  That’s already a 5 year old Honda Civic!  Ok maybe not.  Still, one would somehow be reeling how people can afford to waste money like that.  But, as they say, if you think the price is too much, you probably can’t afford it.

The friends' eyebrows were raised either in consternation or envy as they oggled and oggled some more at this fantastic piece of precision machine on my wrist.  I can almost hear what's running in their puzzled heads;

"How can this guy afford this?" 

Unless my Dad's surname is a Gates, or a Buffet, this piece of trinket is just loose change.  So how?

I think my friends were just afraid to hurt my feelings so they bit their tongues and swallowed that nagging question; 

"Is this the real McCoy?"

I decided to let that question stew some more in their heads and did not volunteer to answer the unasked question.

I would have had no problem answering that question.  Of course it's not.  Unless I have a millionaire relative stashed somewhere, there's no way I can buy myself an original Rolex watch even if I wanted to.  It's almost sinful to even think about buying one.

I got this from those wonderful people in Greenhills who provide cheap thrills for those who can't afford the real deal.  It costs less than 1% the original's price.  It's my personal joke.  My life doesn't depend on it so I wouldn't really care if it conks out on me after a couple of months although the suave seller said that it's scratch proof and it's actually an automatic seiko watch under the hood.  I'll have to take his word on that.

Perhaps when I'm feeling a little bit frivolous again, I'll think of buying that Piaget next time or that Cartier.  Hmmm, so many fake watches, so little time.

Little Pepito

 I haven’t been sleeping well.  I’m guilty of this article from Yahoo! Indeed, all I’m getting is junk sleep.

But, but, what about little Pepito, my little toy?  Ok, so I’m way past my teens but hey, age is not counted by years.  And if this won’t awaken the kid within you, I don’t know what will.  Crisp, uber-defined graphics, surround sound that blasts you off to kingdom come. I don’t have an HD TV yet, but I’m working on it.

Haay, these techie things are ruining me.

Anyway, I got this PS3 the traditional way—conning my dad into buying me one.  What can I say, I’m his unico hijo. Heh.

I think the only reason Dad agreed to be conned was because he’s a huge Manny Pacquiao fan and he wants to play Fight Night.  Hahaha.

But the PS3 is more than the usual gaming console.  It comes equipped with a Blu-ray Disc player, and can even connect wirelessly to your home network.  It has a 60Gb hard drive which is a huge amount of space where you can store thousands of pictures and music files.  The best feature I think are the Six-Axis wireless controllers– which means, you can have more than two people playing at the same time.

Sweet, isn’t it?

But I really have to control myself and not spend too much time with Pepito.  Such a drag.

I’ve Got The Power!

 By some sweet twist of fate, I'm gonna be a proud owner of this outrageously fantastic mobile phone anytime now.  Oh lord, I so feel like singing 'Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right". Heh.  Bob Carlisle would be turning in his grave.  But he's still alive right?

Ok this is showing off, but if you’re given this heavenly gadget aren’t you gonna do the same?  There's no way I can afford this on my own and that makes it so much sweeter.  I don't know who to thank for my good fortune apart from the giver.  Kneel and supplicate in gratitude to high heavens maybe?

Now if I can only easily get a girlfriend just by brandishing this awesome phone.  I wish. 

Eye Candy

 God! I got to have this one.

It’s the latest Creative Zen Vision W 60Gb Portable Media Player Slim Edition.  Porta what?  Just think of it as a souped up version of a portable dvd player, reduced in size but packed with an OMG hard drive 60Gb?  Are you kidding me?  It can hold 15,000 songs, 240 hours of movies, tens of thousands of photos, act as a personal organizer, oh hell’s bells check out the features in this link.

One should not be asking "Now why would you want anything like that?", rather we should ask ourselves “Why wouldn’t I want something like that?”.  Instead of plunking down some serious money on cellphones that would cause you nothing but grief (my phone bill can make an elephant cry), pool them together and buy one of these.  

Picture this, you’re packed tighter than sardines in an FX in a standstill, roaches and rodents zooming past your vehicle (it’s late evening rush hour along coastal road, what can I say) and you no longer have any load left in your prepaid phone.  Bummer, yeah?  But now you have this, earphones smartly plugged in your ears, tear’s streaming down your cheeks as you do your darnedest to suppress your laughter from watching your favorite koreanobela right in your own handheld Creative Zen Vision W 60Gb Portable Media Player Slim Edition that has 4.5 inches of purely defined screen and 4.5 hours of video play.  The world can crumble and fall around you, flood can rush into the exhaust of your FX, your seatmate can fart as loudly as he wants, but you don’t care, you’re lost in your own world!  Traffic?  Bring it on!

But wait, what about the content? How can we fill up 60Gb of space?  Hey, we’re living in a third world country!  We have to think out of the box.  Here’s a hint, it starts with Q.  Errr, Quiapo?  May tama ka diyan!

Unfortunately this one starts at P18k in Singapore as seen in one of those online stores.  I don’t know how much this costs in Manila.  But if you can afford a P20K phone that gives you PMS every billing month, irregardless of you being a guy, then surely you can scrimp for this sweet little thing, like I would.

I need to find me a sugar momma.

Love Moves

In my short stint as a blogger,  I noticed that people are still more responsive towards entries about love more than anything else.  It's reaffirming that despite the negativity this world offers we all still gravitate to matters of the heart.  Perhaps those who blog are all romantics deep down inside notwithstanding the angst ridden personas some would try to project.

It gives me hope.

60 Q’s

 I got this off somebody's blog.  I can't even remember who.  I took the liberty of tagging myself.  I like the questions. ")

 1) How old do you wish you were?
16.  I should never have missed that prom.

2) Where were you when 9/11 happened?
I can't even remember.  I'm a bad person.

3) What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
Hasn't happened yet.  But I'm gonna be arrested for machine abuse, that's for sure.

4) Do you consider yourself kind?
I would like to think of myself as fair.  If that equates to kind, then maybe I am.

5) If you HAD to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Left arm.  The entire arm.

6) If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
I want to be fluent in Spanish.  I plan on visiting South America someday.

8) What do you consider a holiday?
Sipping beer by the beach, watching the tide roll in.

9) Do you follow your horoscope?
It only amuses me.  I don't even remember the last time I read my 'future'.

10) Would you move for the person you loved?Do you follow your horoscope?
Yes.  Without batting an eyelash.

11) Are you touchy feely?
Yes.  It's a sickness.  But only with the one I love.  I don't like other people laying their hands on me.

12) Do you believe that opposites attract?
It could happen.  I prefer those who I share some interest with, otherwise there's nothing for us to talk about.

13) Dream job?
I wanted to be a night security guard in a big library but with a huge salary.  I like the solace of empty evenings spent reading a book.  

14) Favorite channel(S)?
Star World, Star Movies, Star Sports.

15) Favorite place to go on weekends?
Beach.  Particularly those that I haven't been to yet.

16) Showers or Baths?
Shower.  I don't like to marinate in my own dirt. 

17) Do you paint your nails?
No.  But I would, If I were a rockstar.  I like having black nails.  Goth man! 

18) Do you trust people easily?
No.  Been burned lots of times.

19) What are your phobias?
Hate roaches and rodents.  Roaches I can kill, but rodents, no matter how they disgust me, I can't lift a finger to snuff its life. 

20) Do you want kids?
Yes! Lots of them.

21) Do you keep a handwritten journal?
Yes.  I still like the feel of the ballpoint scratching on paper.

22) Where would you rather be right now?
Boracay, provided it's sunny.

24) Are you paranoid?
Not really.  But sometimes I'm scared that I'd suddenly jump off stairs or verandahs.  That's slightly paranoid, no?  

25) Are you impatient?
I'm doing my best not to be.

26) Who can you relate to?
Holden Caulfield.  Sometimes.  You, know thoughts about quitting and stuff.

27) How do you feel about interracial couples?
More power to them.  That's propagation of the species.  Makes the world a more interesting place.

28) Have you been burned by love?
To a crisp.  I'm still smoking even now.

30) What were you doing after midnight last night?
Blogging.  As in most nights.

31) What did the last text on your mobile phone say?
Directions to a meeting room.

32) Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
Mine.  Wouldn't have it any other way.  Unless, unless….

33) What color shirt are you wearing?
White.

34) Favorite footwear?
Crocs slip ons.  Not those dorky looking ones.

35) Name three things you have on you at all times?
Keys to the house, ID, wallet, Cellphone.

36) What color are your bed sheets?
Right now it's gray.

37) How much cash do you have on you right now?
Around P8K.

39) What’s your favorite town/city?
Cebu B!

40) I can’t wait till?
I have my own house.  Haay, HD TV, broadband access, music room.

41) Who got you to join myspace?
Have yet to join that community.  Is it worth it?

42) What did you have for dinner last night?
Noodles.  Wasn't even delicious.

43) How tall are you barefoot?
5'6.  Enough I guess.

44) Have you ever smoked heroin?
No. I'll settle for pot.  Not that I've tried it.

45) Do you own a gun?
Not a chance of me having one.  I hate guns.  I'm for a gunless society.  Baseball bats?  Now that's a different matter.

46) What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee.  Strong.  Lots of it.

47) What is your favourite weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
Argh.  I'm such a loser in this area.  Hehehe.  Don't have lots of confidence these days around the fairer sex.

48) Do you have A.D.D.?
I don't think so.  I like being alone most of the time.

49) What time did you wake up today?
5:30 AM.  Only had around 3 hours worth of sleep.  Bad, I know.

50) Current worry?
Errr, showing a link of other people's blogs?  C'mon guys, I'm a decent fella, link me up! Hehehe. Pathetic.

52) Favorite place to be?
Beach.  No other place comes close.

53) Where would you like to travel?
Carribbean.  And Maldives.  And Greece.  Spare me the big buildings and all.  I just want the beach.

54) Where do you think you’ll be in 10 yrs.?
Manila still, inching closer to my early retirement.  Saving potloads of money.  Oh, and a wife of course.

55) What songs do you sing in the shower?
Let it be, The Beatles.  Peace and love man.  No worries.

Traffic Congestion

 Traffic jam, when you're already late..

And so goes Alanis Morisette's take on irony, a rather stretched version of the word's true definition.  Traffic jam or as we pinoys love to call it — traffic — is perhaps one of the major contributors to the shortened life expectancy of the Manila resident.  Going to and from Makati during rush-hour is punishment enough that going to hell after the end of a sinful life can be considered redundant.

For all the ruckus that traffic causes, like floods, the Philippine government seems unable to address it.  It is a problem that only gathers momentum as the years go by.  Perhaps it's easy to pontificate from the comforts of a computer chair but one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that we have too many vehicles plying too few roads. 

We have already determined that the problem would not be solved by more road widenings (there's no more space!).  We now need to focus our attention on the number of vehicles roaming the city.  Coding is good, but it's like treating cancer with paracetamol.  It's not gonna work, it never will.

I think somewhere in this country's limbo of toothless laws, there's one floating  around limiting the road age of vehicles, i.e. if the vehicle has been around for say 10 years, then it's time for that vehicle to be taken to the vet and put to sleep.  That law should have a significant impact when implemented.  But how can you expect thieves to actually surrender themselves?  Some of those who would be enforcing this law are the ones who would be directly affected by it, so what can we really expect?  Hint, some of them are labelled Lacostes (or buwayas).

Somewhere also, there is a stipulation that says, for a person to own a vehicle or operate one, he has to have a place to park this vehicle.  Again, this stipulation seems to have fallen into a blackhole.  Car owners are shamelessly parking their vehicles by the roadside, further thinning the availble road that motorists can use.  This scene is prevalent everywhere and is always a constant source of irritation.

I think we have the right frame of mind to conceptualize these laws.  We know even, that these laws are necessary if we are to really move significantly forward.  But we are too saddled, too burdened with  vested interests that we lack the political will to enforce these laws.  Without political will, nothing gets done.  We continue to ride in this ship of fools that continues to sink deeper and deeper into the muck, if it can even sink at all, given the traffic density it is surrounded with.

When I was younger, a favorite phrase was Dura Lex, Sed Lex.  My law-student aunt would explain it to me saying that "It means, the law is harsh but that is the law."  Unfortunately in this part of the world, this, like all other iron clad things, are easily bent to accommodate the whims and caprices of the powerful few.  Around here, it seems that my favorite phrase has developed another meaning; one that says "The law is harsh, but there's always a way around, if you can afford it".

Well, cheers to the world famous Manila traffic jam.  Looks like it's here to stay.

Forward Looking Youth

 I am trying to live my life one day at a time;  never work too hard, have some quality time with friends, laugh whenever there's an opportunity to do so.  It's a simple life.  There are difficulties but overall, it's a happy life. 

I wish I could say the same thing about the future.  Although I do not pay too much attention, I can't help but notice that a lot of people are trying their luck outside the country, looking for greener pastures.  Which makes me wonder if I should try and follow their lead.  I know that with my current earning capacity I can live modestly.  But if I were to take care of a few others, like when I will have my own family, what I earn today will not be enough.

It's a shame that to be able to settle comfortably in this country, we have to work somewhere else.

I don't want to think about this now, but I hope I will never have to leave these lands, patriotism is still one of my strongest suits, but when economics require it, I will have no choice but to comply.

Down with Love

 Minerva, I wish you the best, and I'm sorry. 

I know love cannot be forced on someone, but I also know that it cannot be kept hidden for so long either.  I was hurting, physically, and I had to tell you.  I know you already have someone in your sight, that you only see me as a friend, but had I not told you the things I told you yesterday, I would have regretted keeping it to myself until I die. 

That you said no wasn't really unexpected, and I respect your decision.  I am sad, but I am also happy.  I am sad because I think I could have really made you happy, and you would have made my life more worthwhile.  I am happy because I am finally rid of this burden that I have kept for so long, and I'm happy because you didn't look at me pityingly.  You are such a wonderful person, and that makes me love you even more.  

Even if you only see me as a friend, it doesn't matter.  I do not require that you reciprocate my feelings.  That I've felt something like this towards another human being is enough.  I only hope that I meet someone as wonderful as you in the future, and I get to experience this feeling all over again.  And I hope next time, she will see me the way I see her.

Minerva, I hope you find the love of your life as well.

photo from www.flickr.com

Down with Piracy?

Avast, me hearties!

I have this really ominous feeling about the dawning of the Blu-ray age.

Blu-ray disc is  the name of a next-generation optical disc format. The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. – www.blu-ray.com

What is not said in the site is whether this is yet another attempt to curb movie piracy.  I guess the big businessmen involved have given up on government policies being the key driver to stopping illegal sale and distribution of movies via the very popular DVD format, so now they’re fighting off these digital pirates with technology.

photo from www.blu-ray.com

But Will It Succeed?

I don’t think so.  One of the things that have been deplored by the movie and music industry over the years is the seeming inability of the DVD format to prevent unauthorized copying of its contents.  I remember reading something a few years back about some controls that were put inside the DVDs where movies were printed on, but these DVDs were still ripped, copied, and distributed illegally.

photo from www.kotaku.com

Although the site mentioned does not expressly say it, I could hazard a guess that some preventive controls are bound to be included in the BD format.  I don’t think it’s necessary to do that though; with its specs, BDs are bound to be expensive.  Also,  BDs can only be played using BD players and even if you have this, you need to have a high definition TV to make it worth your while.  These things do not come cheap.  The cheapest BD player I’ve seen sells for around Php30K. 

In short, it is not for everyone.

I do not see the BD as a threat to DVD for now, which means that piracy will continue to fester for years to come.

Final Flurry

There is only one way that piracy can be eradicated.  Sell those DVD movies at reasonable rates.  Right now, in the battle between Original and Pirated, there’s a glaring mismatch as to which one third world consumers would prefer.

photo from www.everypicture.com

The Dawn

It's a new day.

I woke up this morning with a purpose.  I have been thinking about it for a long time.  And now I’ve finally done it.  I have a blog!  I should have done this much sooner, but I was afraid that I have nothing much to say.  Now that I’ve finally found the courage to just go ahead, I hope I will be able to maintain this site for a long long time.

I wish to share with the world the things that interest me, things that I think will interest other people as well.  That’s the plan.  Oh, and gain a lot of friends too.

Staking my Claim

Just a little something something so Technorati can find me.

Here, kitty kitty!

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